Bullmastiff

Bullmastiffs are commanding and powerful dogs which were originally developed for immobilizing poachers. Now, it is a well known and popular family dog. It is a cross between the English mastiff and the English bulldog. The males should be around 25 to 27 inches tall where as the females are slightly shorter and are around 24 to 26 inches tall. The males weigh around 110-130 pounds and the females weigh from 100-120 pounds. These dimensions are usually not exceeded when breeding the dog as the breeders believe a larger dog would not be able to perform the duties for which it was created.

Bullmastiffs are usually fawn, brindle or red and these are the only accepted colors. These colors vary on shades of darkness. These dogs don’t have much of white on them except for a little on the chest. These dogs are very athletic and strong and thus have a powerful and fit build. This makes them fast and agile. They have a short tail and stout legs carrying the entire weight of the body. The mouth or the muzzle is usually black in color. They are an attractive breed of dogs. They are very playful when they are puppies and thus it is the best time to train the dogs.

A Bullmastiff is usually confident yet docile. These dogs can be very loving, calm and loyal. They get attached to the family very soon. They usually get along with other dogs but sometimes the males don’t get along with other males. They get along very well with little children if the dog has received proper training when it was young. They are very social once they are trained. They might knock down small children when they are playing and thus parental supervision is needed.

These dogs are very independent and like to make their own decisions but after proper training the dogs look to their owners for permission to do anything. They weren’t bred for reasons of hunting and thus don’t show much aggression. They should be properly socialised with all members of the family. They are very good guard dogs. Though they do not bite the intruder, if a person attacks the dog is smart enough to pin the person down on the ground holding them by the neck.

Bullmastiffs live for eight to eleven years. They keep growing till the age of two or three. These dogs are prone to many heredity diseases such as hip and elbow dysplasia, entropion, blood cancer, hypothyroidism, bone conditions such as arthritis when they grow older and a particular problem known as progressive retinal atrophy. These diseases can be treated and cared for if detected at an early stage. These dogs are also prone to bloat because of their muscular frame and should be put on a constant diet to avoid obesity and other weight problems. Other problems include cosmetic genetic diseases such as long hairs and Dudley’s. This is a lack of pigment on the mask.